Join other Baptists in praying for associations during the Week of Prayer for Baptist Associations on October 17–24, 2020. Associations are Baptist churches working together in geographic regions. Associational missionaries depend upon the prayers and support of people like you to do effective Kingdom ministry.
After serving as a pastor in Birmingham, Alabama, I began serving as Executive Director of the Birmingham Metro Baptist Association (BMBA). Seven months before the coronavirus pandemic, the BMBA hosted the annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention in June 2019. Since the beginning of COVID-19, our associational staff has helped churches navigate unprecedented challenges. Associational ministry is essential amid the pandemic.
Learn about Your Association
For two hundred years, Birmingham churches have experienced God’s blessings in reaching a growing metropolis. The BMBA has become increasingly diverse. Today, one-third of the association’s 180 churches are predominately African American. Multicultural, Hispanic, and Asian churches bring further diversity.
The BMBA has developed many ministries to reach the 1.2 million people in Greater Birmingham with the Gospel. The Baptist Health System, founded in 1922 by the association, includes five major hospitals in the region. The BMBA plans to open a twenty-room hotel to serve those with loved ones in hospitals. This hotel will provide churches with missions opportunities.
What underserved communities, cultures, and ethnic groups are within your association? Do you know what churches are included in your association? God wants to use believers like you who will share the Gospel with unreached peoples.
Pray for Your Association
Prayer is the primary source of strength for associations. A ministry called Remedy is a simple ministry born out of prayer. The concept started with a call from the family of a hospice patient: “What can we do with gently-used home-health equipment? Could God use these resources for a purpose?” Now, the BMBA provides medical equipment at no cost through Remedy. Leaders share the Gospel with each recipient.
A strong association is comprised of healthy churches. Within the last year, the BMBA launched a ministry to revitalize local churches. The goal is for associational churches to be vibrant in their communities. With many urban churches closing, church revitalization is critical. Cities are centers of art, science, education, and government. Gospel-focused churches in cities are essential to obeying the Great Commission. Pray for God to initiate ministries to meet needs and revitalize churches in your association.
Do and Tell
The local association needs your prayerful support. Consider volunteering for a ministry, serving on an associational team, or training for Southern Baptist disaster relief. Sharing associational literature and social media posts with your church may strengthen the bond between your church and association. Many associational WMU teams are seeking volunteers to resource churches and support pastors and wives.
Is God be calling you to offer support to the local association? Find out serves as your Associational Missions Strategist (also known as Director of Missions) and pray for this person by name. Visit ameresources.org to discover how individuals and church groups of all ages may pray and volunteer for the local association.
Dr. Chris Crain is the Executive Director of the Birmingham Metro Baptist Association in Birmingham, Alabama. He has served as a pastor, church planter, and associational missionary for 27 years.